Two Cleanings a Year vs Four Cleanings a Year

Personalized care is our specialty. Our hygiene team will advise you on what is a good frequency for your professional cleanings based on your oral health, your home care habits and any medical conditions you may have. The recommendation may change throughout your lifetime as you change. The six month interval was developed by toothpaste companies back in the day as a marketing plan. There is no rhyme or reason how the six month standard came to be. Often our hygiene team will recommend patients with more risk factors for gingivitis and periodontal disease come for cleanings every 3 months. By coming more frequently, we can help prevent little problems before they become big ones.

High risk patients who may require more frequent cleanings are:

People who already have periodontal disease

People with a weak immune system

People with a high rate of caries

Smokers

People with diabetes

Pregnant women

Patients with a physical or mental impairment that inhibits their ability for quality home care of their teeth

Patients undergoing chemo and/or radiation therapy due to the high risk for aggressive decay to happen during treatment